Helicopter helping fight Dome Fire near Yosemite crashes, killing 2
Two helicopter crew members were killed Sunday when their aircraft crashed while fighting the Dome Fire in Mariposa County.
The helicopter went down shortly before 3 p.m. near Mariposa with two people aboard, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Precision, the contractor operating the helicopter, confirmed Monday that one of its aircraft was actively working the Dome Fire near Yosemite National Park when it crashed.
On Monday evening, Alaska's Division of Forestry and Fire Protection identified one of the two men killed as Greg King, noting that he had close ties to the agency.
"King was a cherished member of our wildland fire family, having served on wildland fires in Alaska and extensively alongside the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection," the agency said in a statement.
In a social media post, Precision later identified the second person as Ryan Cutter, from Utah.
"Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. These two men deserve every single one of them, as do their families and friends. These two men brought honor to the mission. Their dedication and service will never be forgotten," Precision wrote.
No details have been released about what caused the helicopter to go down. Precision said it is cooperating with the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and fire agencies as the investigation moves forward.
The NTSB will lead the federal investigation.
The Dome Fire started Sept. 15 in Mariposa County and had burned more than 3,400 acres by Monday night. Cal Fire reported the blaze at 15% containment.
